Intro

The question is “how Does off Shore Wind Effect the Fisheries?” The response we have received from the wind developers is, “we can’t fully understand the impact to NJ fisheries until the wind farms are built.”

Information from Studies

Studies from the North Sea where the waters are heavily developed with offshore wind facilities show that they absolutely do have an impact on fisheries. The following quotes are from some of those studies.

Flounder species were some of the only species to show correlations between the strength of electromagnetic fields from cables and increasing avoidance behaviors around cables, as their catches decreased around charged cables in Denmark (McCann, 2012). Catch studies on some species of fish (Baltic herring, common eel, Atlantic cod and flounder) at the Nysted wind farm in Denmark found the catches of these species were reduced in the vicinity of the cables, indicating the migration of fish across the cables may be reduced, (DONG Energy and Vattenfall 2006) DONG Energy (2006) reported on their studies of fish migration/movement in relation to the 132 kV export cable at Nysted OWF in Denmark. They collected data over several years using pound nets for both baseline and post-construction monitoring. Their data from 2003 and 2004 indicated significant impacts of EMF on four species: Baltic herring, common eel, Atlantic cod, and flounder. Their results suggest that migration of some species across the cable trace may be impeded.

Will Offshore Wind Facilities Impact Fish Migrations?

The answer, based on the above studies, is most likely yes. Just looking at summer flounder, the most important recreational fishery in New Jersey, we know they move from offshore waters in the winter to inshore waters and bays in the spring. Upwards of 300 turbines off the Jersey Shore and transmission lines from Island Beach State Park south to Cape May Point will effectively make an electromagnetic barrier that, based on the science, will disrupt summer flounder moving into state waters in South Jersey.

The Block Island Wind Farm

The Block Island Wind Farm has been in operation since 2016. It is the first offshore wind farm in the US. Published, peer reviewed analysis of the BIFW found that it did not produce any measureable benefits for recreational anglers as indicated in the statement below. Furthermore, NOAA Fisheries finds that there was no increase in recreational black sea bass catch in the surrounding waters since the BIWF’s construction.

There was no indication that the presence of turbine structures attracted flatfish to the BIWF, either increasing abundances compared to reference areas or the baseline time period. (Wilber, D.H., et al. 2018)

Will Fishermen Have Access to Fish Around the Wind Turbines if Built?

The offshore wind developers will tell you that you can fish around the turbines but they can provide absolutely no legally binding guarantees that access will be protected. The wind facility will be classified as energy infrastructure and will fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Home Land Security. We already know that a restriction zone will be around the substations within the wind farm meaning that the proposed wind farms are already more restrictive than the oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Why The Rush To Construct Massive Facilities Without First Gathering Critical Fisheries Data?

There is a race to reap rate payer subsidies to build these facilities. In short, time is running out for these developers to cash in on tax credits and rate payers subsidies and build these facilities with your money and then sell you back the electricity at an above market rate.